Iowa universities hid payments from public, records show

Iowa universities have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements that have secrecy clauses or whose recipients' names are still being hidden from the public, records released today show.

One person, for example, was paid $5,000 to settle claims of sex and disability discrimination against the University of Iowa.

Another was paid $300,000 by the school, records show.

In many of the cases, names of the individuals received the money and the reasons behind the settlements were blacked out in the records just made public.

Iowa Board of Regents attorney Aimee Claeys cited both federal and state laws for keeping the information secret, saying the redactions include information about current, prospective or former students and personnel information.

The records were released today as part of a March 19 request from The Des Moines Register seeking copies of all settlements that are $1 or more since January 2011.

The Register made the requests in light of 25 secret settlements that costs taxpayers more than $500,000, which were unveiled as part of its investigation of the state's executive branch. Gov. Terry Branstad soon after denounced the use of confidentiality clauses and has issued an executive order forbidding their use but controversy over the settlements has dogged his administration for more than a month.

Branstad fired Iowa Department of Administrative Services Director Mike Carroll earlier this month after the Register published documents showing his staff paid hush money to at least one former state employee to keep her from talking.